Amazon streaming TV ads: where they run, specs and buying

This guide is built from three Amazon Ads pages: Streaming TV ads, Prime Video ads and Streaming TV & Prime Video ad specs. For Amazon's search ads (Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display), see our Amazon Ads guide; for how Amazon compares with other retailers' ad networks, see our retail media networks guide.

What Amazon streaming TV ads are

Amazon describes them as "full-screen, non-skippable video ads" that "appear before, during, or after video content like TV shows, movies, and live entertainment across connected TV, mobile, and desktop." They are bought as part of Amazon's Display, Video, and Audio campaigns. If you used Sponsored TV before, Amazon says: "Sponsored TV is now a part of Amazon’s wider streaming TV ads offering."

Where they run

Amazon lists these places:

• Prime Video: Amazon Originals and licensed shows and films, and live sports such as Thursday Night Football.
• Twitch: livestreamed gaming, entertainment, sports and music.
• Fire TV Channels: Amazon says it gives "access to over 900 channels across 30+ categories".
• Third-party apps: top TV and network broadcaster apps, and services like Bloomberg or Crackle through Amazon Publisher Direct.

Amazon adds that "Supply availability differs by locale." The most prominent spot on the Fire TV home screen, Feature Rotator, is a separate placement with its own specs.

Prime Video ads and countries

Prime Video ads run in pre-roll and mid-roll breaks; Amazon says some titles only have pre-roll breaks. Its Prime Video ads page lists the countries where ads have been introduced in Prime Video content: the U.S., Canada and Mexico; Brazil; Austria, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the U.K.; and Australia, India, Japan and New Zealand.

Who can buy them

Amazon's FAQ says "Businesses can buy video ads whether or not they sell products on Amazon." For the U.S., it names sellers enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry, vendors (including book vendors and publishers), agencies, technology providers, and brands that do not sell on Amazon. You do not need a product listing; you need a video.

Self-service, managed service and minimums

Amazon publishes no price per impression on these pages. It answers "How much do streaming TV ads cost?" with the buying options instead: "Streaming TV ads are available in both managed-service and self-service packages. Self-service packages have a $10K recommended campaign minimum, and managed-service packages have a $50K campaign minimum."

The same page also says the offer comes "with no minimum spend requirement". Read together, the $10K for self-service is a recommendation, while the $50K for managed service is a minimum. Prime Video ads are bought the same two ways in Amazon Ads Agent: managed-service advertisers contact Amazon, and self-service advertisers register.

Video specs

From Amazon's Streaming TV & Prime Video ad specs:

• Aspect ratio 16:9, minimum frame size 1920x1080, maximum file size 500MB.
• Video bitrate at least 15 Mbps for Prime Video (50 Mbps recommended) and at least 8 Mbps for Twitch, Fire TV Channels and third-party apps and exchanges.
• Frame rate 23.976 (recommended), 24, 25 or 29.97 fps, constant.
• Video H.264, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4; audio AAC, at least 192 kbps, 44.1 or 48 kHz, at least two channels.

Amazon strongly discourages pillarbox or letterbox video, and says non-interactive ads "should not include call-to-action elements that encourage clicking". Ads must also follow Amazon's general creative guidelines.

Ad lengths

Allowed lengths differ by supply source and country. In the U.S., Amazon's table lists:

• Prime Video: 15, 30, 45 or 60 seconds.
• Twitch: 15 or 30 seconds.
• Fire TV Channels: 15, 30, 45, 60 or 90 seconds.
• Third-party streaming TV apps: 6, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 75 or 90 seconds.

In the U.K. and Germany, Prime Video takes 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 or 60 seconds. A 15 or 30 second cut works across every U.S. source.

Interactive video ads

Amazon's specs page describes interactive video ads as streaming TV ads with a creative overlay: with a TV remote or a phone, viewers can click or scan to add an item to their cart or learn more without leaving what they are watching. Amazon also has a Prime Video interactive pause ad format. If an ad does not meet the interactive ad policy but meets the general streaming TV policies, Amazon says it can still run "without interactivity".

Streaming TV, OTT and CTV

Amazon uses the terms this way: streaming TV, "sometimes called OTT", is content "delivered directly to viewers via a streaming video service over the internet, bypassing the traditional cable set box". Connected TV is the device: gaming consoles, smart TVs or digital media players. Linear TV is programmed and watched on a schedule through satellite or cable. Our CTV advertising guide compares how the IAB and other platforms use these terms.

How we would start

This is our own view, not Amazon's guidance:

• Plan a self-service budget around Amazon's $10K recommendation; if that is out of reach, a lower-minimum platform such as Roku Ads Manager or YouTube on TV screens is a better first test.
• Make one 1920x1080 video in 15 and 30 second cuts, with no clickable-looking buttons.
• If you sell on Amazon, add an interactive version on Prime Video so viewers can act during the ad.

For help planning video and TV campaigns, see our services.

Frequently asked questions

Where do Amazon streaming TV ads appear?

Before, during or after shows, films and live content on Prime Video, Twitch, Fire TV Channels and third-party TV and broadcaster apps, on connected TVs, mobile and desktop.

How much do Amazon streaming TV ads cost?

Amazon does not publish a rate on these pages. Self-service packages have a $10K recommended campaign minimum; managed-service packages have a $50K campaign minimum.

Do I need to sell on Amazon to run streaming TV ads?

No. Amazon says businesses can buy video ads whether or not they sell products on Amazon.

What are the ad specs for Amazon streaming TV ads?

16:9 at 1920x1080 or more, up to 500MB, 23.976 to 29.97 fps, H.264, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 with AAC audio. Lengths depend on where the ad runs; 15 and 30 seconds work across U.S. sources.

What happened to Sponsored TV?

Amazon folded it into its streaming TV ads. It is now called "Streaming TV" within Display, Video, and Audio campaigns in Amazon Ads Agent.

Related guides: Amazon Ads for business, retail media networks, Roku Ads Manager and YouTube ads on TV screens. To plan a campaign with us, see our services.